For many missiles and other flight vehicles such as kill vehicles, the traditional method of providing midcourse energy management flexibility is a cruciform divert and attitude control system (DACS), which can be complex and expensive. For example, liquid propellant cruciform divert systems may use hazardous fuels/oxidizers and may require additional systems to detect and contain leaks. Solid propellant cruciform divert systems, while addressing the toxicity issues, may require pressure management schemes that can waste propellant and reduce the performance of the system. Solid DACS may also require exotic materials to protect valves from excessive heat soak, may have total operating time limitations, reduced total impulse, and significant structural mass for thermal protection. These limitations may severely lower the mass fraction of the system and significantly limit kill vehicle performance, size, and flexibility.
In view of the foregoing, kill vehicles with enhanced midcourse energy management flexibility are needed.